Michael Brown

Articles by: Michael Brown

Mental Health Cop: The Angiolini Review of deaths in custody

The policing response to mental health

31st October 2017

Insp Michael Brown, author of Mental Health Cop Blog

OPINION: The Angiolini Review examining deaths and serious incident in police custody was published this week. Police Inspector Michael Brown, author of Mental Health Cop Blog, explores the issues raised by the report.

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On record: Using BWV when dealing with people with mental health issues

The policing response to mental health

17th August 2017

Insp Michael Brown, author of Mental Health Cop Blog

Analysis: Body worn cameras are becoming the new normal in policing, but when it comes to attending incidents involving those with mental health problems, officers need to be aware of the challenges. Police Inspector Michael Brown, author of Mental Health Cop Blog, explores the issues.

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Michael Brown
Insp Michael Brown, author of Mental Health Cop Blog
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I’m a serving police inspector who began blogging in a personal capacity. I’ve had more than my fair share of policing & mental health incidents on the frontline of British policing. It was the overwhelming feeling when I joined of not knowing what on earth I was doing that got me asking questions about this stuff. I asked them of other police officers, including supervisors, but it emerged they often knew little of use. I have made it my business to spend time with psychiatrists including forensic psychiatrists, A&E doctors, paramedics as well as mental health nurses and AMHPs (or ASWs as they were) how we should operate in this area of policing. I decided at the start not to do this anonymously, taking the view that we should be openly trying to discuss the difficult issues we see at the interface between policing and mental health. Originally, I used to point people towards Chief Constable Simon COLE of Leicestershire Police for that – he was the national lead for the service on these issues. However, since the beginning, this blog and my social media efforts more generally saw me seconded from West Midlands Police to the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council, as their mental health coordinators. I’ve since been involved in producing national policy for the police service, largely based on this blog and now work for Chief Constable Mark COLLINS of Dyfed-Powys Police who is the new national lead aiming to ensure progress is made on implementing this. I’m interested the criminalisation of mental health issues and the extent to which we’ve expanded the role of the police as a de facto crisis service. I’m interested in ensuring that operational cops with their 8hrs of mental health training, can survive legal contact with this extremely complex business and do their best for patients and vulnerable people.